In February of 1997, Kelly Gissendaner orchestrated the brutal murder of her husband Doug in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Sentenced to die in 1998, Gissendaner’s appeals process is about to run out. Barring a miracle, Gissendaner will be executed by the State of Georgia on Wednesday night (2/25/2015). Those of us who grow up in the South know well how

After a week here in FMC Lexington Satellite camp, a federal prison in Kentucky, I started catching up on national and international news via back issues of USA Today available in the prison library, and an “In Brief” item, on p. 2A of the Jan. 30 weekend edition, caught my eye.

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The words are being repeated over and over again across Texas today. Texan after Texan will be reminded of their own mortality. In addition to the introspection, I pray that God will add a little outerspection to Ash Wednesday here in Texas and pierce the hearts of Christians about the approaching March 5 execution of Rodney Reed.

“Let us fill our hearts with our own compassion — towards ourselves and towards all living beings.”

—Thich Nhat Hanh

In order to have compassion for ourselves and for others, it is often necessary to step outside of our current situation, to gain perspective and be released from that which we may find ourselves mired in.

Reflections on Tim Storey: The Man Beyond the Headlines during his last hours of life, which state officials are planning to end tonight.

In spring 1965, I was a senior in the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan University and assumed I would graduate in June, just a year behind schedule. In addition to doing ongoing course work and preparing for my final exams, I was working on a thesis of 100 to 150 pages required for graduation.